Locking-shutter for taximeters.



narran strait? -rafrnirr onirica PAUL RECHERT, F PTTSBURGH, :PENNSYIfiU-S,NHL.`

Locarno-sistemica' son '.raxiivinrniis.

Application filed December 5, 1910.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, PAUL RICHERT, a resident of'Pittsburgh, in t.he"eount.y of Alle -gheny andl Statejof Pennsylvania., have 'inventedI a new and useful improvement. in Loclnng-Shutters 'orTaXimeters, of which 'theffollowing is a specification.

. This invention'relates to -taximeters or .fare registers-for hired vehicles.

' *Th'e object isto providea special shutter or device which conceals from the drivel the ."ue condition of the meter, but which en a les thel owner to --thererom` is readily y take the' readings One 'of the difficulties.injoperating vehi- 4cles for public use is to prevent the drivers .from cheating thelowners. The present tax- 4'ceived than the meter shows, but to poclret shown on the meter. '30

Iiineters aim to. prevent thisas far as possi..

ble. It isffound' however that at times the mechanism of the meter fails to operate or slips, and does not register 'the' amount of 'thefare collected or the nunibenot miles traveled by-the vehicle, ori other 'important matters," discovery of which on the part -f the 4driver vindiices him fin handing in his report card not to report more` money `retho fares collectedoverand above what is The present invention has for itspurpose -to prevent this as far as possible. Thisis eilccted` `by lproviding vspecial means which conceals from the driver the total amount of the registration, thereby leaving him in ignorance thereof, so that o n his report card.

he Vwill report the total amount collected on the various trips, in the belief that the register will show this amoiint;but which special means are so arranged thatgthe owner can readilyinspect theregister and take the readings thereof.

The invention 'comprises the construction and arrangement of aspecial'ly key controllcd shutter'as hereinafter described and;

claimed. li In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is an inside View of the backcasingeplate of a" taxin'ie ter showingl my. ii'ivention applied `thereto; Fig.' '2 is -afv'ertical sectional view on an enlanged scale taken4 on the line 2'-2,` Figyl; Fig. 3 isasimilarview 'takenon ythe line 34-3, i;v and Fig. al. is an ont side. viewLof a. portion, ofthe back plate.

The4 improveinents herein claimedjare Sliovvnfl 'appliedfto" a t'axirneter of' the .tvpe- Specification 'of Letters Patent.

registering mechanisin.V The .mechanism may be of various kinds and is Patenten July is, isis'. serial No. 595,764;

plate of the usual casing inclosing' the meter mechanism. The signal or lag is indicated at 3, the same being provided with a lever or shaft i which is connected to the flag spindle 5 mounted 'in the back-plate 2 and operating inthe usual way of such flags orsignals, to

Aindicate either that the vehicle is for hire or.. is occupied, and serving when moved -up- 'and down. to operate the indicating and indicating not disclosed herein. The drawing shows the locking lever 6'4 for Athe Hag, which lever is controlled by a cam member 7 froml a knob on the outside., all as in my application aforesaid," for preventing operation vof the flag, 'which knob can be? opera-ted from` the exterior by thedriver.

The drawings show only the4 totaliZing registers of the mieter, which are operatedfV from the movements of the flag as is customa'ryL 'These are shown as corresponding" jtothose of my applicationabove identified and comprise five different sets of registering Wheels, marked 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 respectively and serving respectively to registerthe-totals of the following items,- total miles -traveled by .the vehicle, total miles traveled by the vehicle for which pay is received, the number of trips, the amount of the regular or usual tariti'l or fare, and" the' amc-unt of the eXtra. tariff or fares. All of these registers are shown in the'forin of wheels, which are shown mounted in aline- ;me'nt. and preferably upon a common 'shaft as in "my applicati-onaforesaid, and which shaft is secured in-a -frame or. housing mem-- ber 15 secured tot-he'back plate y2. Inthe back plate in line'with these registers is a' window 16 through which-.these registersl can'be read, said window preferably being closed byfa glass heldin frame 17 as is the usual practice with taximete'rs. -This win dow visible tothe driver `of -the vehicle' and ordinarily the readings `of'thcse totalizing` registers are plainly visible. 'The present,- invention provides' meansrffor prevent 'BES-T AVAILABLE .COPY

fr ed of sir-et inetai and has end- 'la eh are eng; he ends ot l rovided th slots i2 eeting troni ii 'f al ly .unueoted :rin 2.6 #i an. 1

to the lever pivovp-imno tu; cans.

olally iuoante; arni QB udfqii meunier 2l) on liev controlled lt l f juif@ as a te le@ f .1 i .-'otatii'ig barre-l. i sprix g' azeufxneoted to :..rin 26 oi? the anglo levee.I st v to nifrina the shuttelin lowered positief: E in v' ich pov silion it conceals the. registering win n1strom the driver. The ram l0- f-"id knin Yale or other l el LLLML are so arranged that the ated by the rotation oit the lizirrel oi. in either direoti in. ny suita he emploi-*ed but prefer a 'took ot the Yale type `on account ot the oi ieulty in getting o spi/irious key to operate the. saine. The

look is shown clamped. v a nut to ,tho back pla the barrel at the n'nufi end being exposed and it the. @am 529.

` having secured .t Theke)Y shown at 552%: and when inserted in the look permits ofthe rotation of the Jarre] in the usual viy of looks of this liind. Nornallijf the shutter in towered posi on as c'lesoriloedt entirely fot-noord the, regis tering w1 "*effistering wheels key' in the loot: and i t the cani Qt) aotuates the aru i'fts the shutter tto line-v with reg *1 Adfction ot 'tfno register the widow. it is he .oeh sliail oe ii the owner or his a: "it will 'oo nf'itioed ti ot cani Q9 aud lov rotated to hoi-im; its eiit'agezneifzt i y i. lever in the posi ion sh' I the shutter at lh .most position ai view. The parts so long; as the can" sition.

y l grasped to litt the cover,

a. result of this invention the. 'driver does not know the true condition of the totalizing registers, 'does not', know whether there has been ang,7 failure on the part ot tlie latter, but will. naturally suppose thatthe register'has oiuerated' ivierteotly, and consequently grill keep his repoit correctly according to each trip run. Consequently his report card at; nighty -will show the true amount ot' fares reeeived by him, vand the owner receives' the money due hina entirely irrespective of whether there has been a- 'failure in the totalizing register or not'.

Diny suitable 'torni of loci( is adapted tor the purpose, and the connection between the key controlled portion of the lock and the shutter may also he voriously arranged without departing :troni the spirit ot the invention.

that I claim is: l. in 'a tf.\\.iineter, the Combination of a easing provided with a window, u totalizing register located to be viewed through said windmv, a shutter slic'lahly mounted on the inner wall ot' the easing and' :12"anged to e ver the' window in its normal position, u key controlled barrel lockextending through the Casing', and operating connections between. the lock lmrrel and shutter, said connections being mounted on the :asing; and arra iged when the lockl barrel is rotated to more the shutter to expose the register through the window.

In taxinieter, the combination of a casing ynfovided with a window, a totaliziug register located to be viewed through saidwindow, a shutter mounted to slide in w; ys upon the asing and arranged to cover the window in its normal position, a keyid window, a shutter .--:lidahl v mounted on he inging and arranged to Cover the window in its normal position. a key Controlled barrel lool; extending through the easing, a -eani on the Jarrol. an angle lever pivoted on the casing' and having an arm projecting Air''o the path ot the movement ol tho eaiu` r iid. lever loeing` connected lto the shutter 'i so arranged itat when the, lofk barrel. ltat-3d, the shutter will he moved to ef'- he register 'through thel window..

in u taxiniete". the "oinhiuaion oi' u. in'oviderfl with `a \\'iinflo'\\, a totalizter loeatctfi to be viewed thiough idow. a shutter slidablv mounted on the eus-rino; und arranged to @over the 'Winus normal. position, a key controlled barrel lock extending through the casing, a V

the casing and havingtan` arm proJec'ting cam on the barrel, an angle lever pivoted on i into the path-of movement of-the cam, a

; ing. register located to be viewed through said window, a shutter movably,mounted oir-the ycasing and arranged to cover the WindoWin its normal position, akey con? trolled barrel loclextending through the casing', a cam on the barrel, a double arm angle lever pivotally mounted on the casing,'one arm-thereof connected tothe shut.- ter, the other armvbeing arranged to be engaged by the cam to move'the shutter and expose the register through the `"Window,"

the respective" arms of. the angle lever being I substantially of the samelength.

6, In a `taximeter, the combination` of a casing having a Wall orpl'ate,sa id plate being "provided with 'a window, a totalizing.

registerI located to' be viewed vthrough said Window,.a shutterfmovably mounted in the casing and arranged to cover the-window 'in its normal position, a key controlled barrel lock extending through said Wall or plate, and operating connections between said lock barrel -and shuier, said connections being `mounted upon the lnner `face of said wall or plate and arranged when the lock barrel is rotated to move the shutter to expose the register through the Window.

In testin1ony-wl1ereof, I have hereuntol set myl hand..` l.

PAUL RICHERT. Witnesses: A

. F. W. IVINTER,

`Mani:l E. CAHooN. 

